Speed regulating and controlling mechanism for self-propelled vehicles.



PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

I A. W. SANDBLL. SPEED REGULAT ING AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SELFPROPELLED VEHICLES.

r w zz a Z@ 5 6 d C fi n 3 H C A E D 0 M 0 I AXEL WV. SANDELL, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JACOB LAUTH, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

SPEED REGULATING AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,531, dated January13, 1903.

Application filed March 21, 1901. Serial No. 52,186. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AXEL W. SANDELL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvementin Speed Regulating andControlling Mechanism for Self-Propelled Vehicles,of which the followingis a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a mechanism for applicationto and use with a self-propelled vehicle by means of which the speed canbe regulated and controlled by the operator from no speed up to thehighest speed obtainable from the driving engine or motor and have themechanism of simple construction and well adapted for the purposeintended and efficient, reliable, and positive in use; and the inventionconsists in the features of construction and combination of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure l is a plan viewshowing the engine or motor and a portion of a rear axle and wheel withthe power-transmitting devices and the regulating and controllingmechanism for the speed; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the parts shown inFig. 1 with the wheel removed and the axle in section; Fig. 3, anenlarged sectional elevation of the power-transmitting disk or wheeldriven from the engine or motor; and Fig. 4, a detail, being anelevation showing a portion of the frame carrying the power-shaft foroperating the driving-gear for the axle.

In the drawings only so much of a self-propelled vehicle or automobileis shown as is deemed necessary for the purpose of illustratingthe'mechanism which pertains particularly to the invention, and for thisreason one end of the driven axle with a carrying-wheel, partly brokenaway, is shown, while the running-gear and the body of the vehicle orantomobile is omitted, it being understood that the driving engine ormotor is carried by the body in any usual and well-known manner.

The engine or motor A can be a gas or other form of engine or motoradapted for use in a self-propelled vehicle. The engine shown has ashaft B extending laterally through the engine at the center, and, asshown, the engine on each side has bearings or boxes afor supporting theshaft, and the shaft is held in place by a' collar or ring I) and a setscrew or pin 5 on one end of the shaft, the collar abutting against theend face of the bearings or boxes at for the shaft.

The shaft at the opposite end to the collar 1) has secured thereon adriving-disk C, so as to be revolved with the shaft, and, as shown, thedisk has a hub or centeno, which abuts against the end of the bearing orbox for the shaft. The driving-disk C is formed of a metal plateo,'having the projecting hub or center 0' for attachment to thedriving-shaft and having a circumferential or peripheral rim 0 forming achamber Within the rim, in which chamber is located a packing or cushion0 of paper or other suitable semicompressible and elastic material, andthe acting face of the-driving-disk is formed of a plate of hardenedmetal 0 entered within the peripheral rim against the packing orcushion, and as shown, the packing or cushion and the face-plate ofhardened metal are united to the backingplate by suitable bolts 0passing through the sections of the driving-disk as a whole. Thehardened face-plate c at the axial center of the disk has a countersinkor depression 0 of a diameter and depth sufficient to clear thedriving-disk of the driven pinion or disk' when the pinion or disk is atthe center of the driving-disk.

The driven pinion or disk D is of less diameter than the diameter of thedriving-disk and is located adjacent to the driving-disk, so that itsperipheral face will bear against and impinge on the hardened plate ofthe driving-disk with sufficient force to impart rotation to the drivenpinion or disk from the rotation of the driving-disk. The driven pinionor disk D is slidably mounted on a driven shaft E by means of a splineor key on the pinion, which enters a longitudinal groove or slot e inthe shaft, locking the pinion or disk to the shaft, so that the pinionor disk can be moved forward and back on the shaft and at the same timeimpart rotation to the shaft. The moving of thepinion or disk D on thedriven shaft in or out in relation to the center of the driving-diskdecreases or increases the speed at which the driven pinion or disk isrevolved, and with the pinion or disk in line with the axial centering-disk.

of the driving-disk its periphery will clear the hardened face of thedriving-disk by reason of the countersink or depression 0, so that withthe rotation of the driving-disk no movement will be transmitted to thedriven pinion or disk. As the driven pinion or disk is moved out ortoward the periphery of the driving-disk it will have an increased speedproportionately given thereto between the limitofadjustment from thecenteroutward of the driving-disk, owing to the increased bearingsurface brought into engagement with the periphery of the driven pinionor disk, the outward movement of the pinion or disk, in effect, givingan increased diameter of driving-surface,and consequently an increase ofspeed, for the driven pinion or disk.

The driven shaft E is mounted in adjustablejournal boxes or bearings F,located in a frame or support attached to the engine, so that the drivenshaft will be in axial line with the center of the driving-disk. Eachbox F is mounted in an elongated slot gin the end arms or pieces of theframe or support G, and each box has adjacent thereto a cushion orpacking F, of rubber or other elastic material which will yield underpressure and exert a spring action, by which the driven pinion or diskwill be held properly in contact with the acting face of thedriving-disk. Each spring or cushion F is carried by a follower-plate f,against which the end of an adjusting-screw f, passing through the endof the end arm or piece of the frame or support, abuts, so that byadvancing the screw the proper tension can be placed on the spring 01'cushion to regulate the contact and impingement of the driven pinion ordisk against the acting face of the driving-disk, so as to insure thedriving of the pinion or disk to revolve the driven shaft at the speeddesired.

The driven pinion or disk D has a prolonged hub or center (1, which isengaged by a fork 72 of an arm H, and the lower end of the arm hasthereon a shoe or slide h, which rides or travels on a supporting trackor rod I, secured in bosses 11 on the inside of the end arms or piecesof the frame or support, so that the arm or bar H will travel in astraight line or plane in moving the pinion or disk inward or outwardfor regulating and controlling the speed.

The sliding arm or bar H is encircled by an eye or loop j at the end ofa connecting-bar J, the other end of which connecting-bar is attached bya pivot j to the lower end J of an arm or lever J pivoted by a suitablepin or pivotj so as to be within reach of the operator of the machine.The movement of the lever J by the operator moves the connecting-bar Jinward or outward for such movements of the connecting-bar to correspondingly move the forked arm or barH and travel the driven pinion ordiskinward or outward in relation to its point of bearing on the driv- Itwill thus be seen that the control of the position of the driven pinionor disk in relation to its bearing on the drivingdisk is under thedirection of the operator, who by moving the lever J can adjust theposition of the driven pinion or disk properly to regulate the speed forthe driven shaft as required or desired.

The driven shaft at one end is held against endwise movement of theshaft by a collar 6, which abuts against the end face of a journal boxor bearing and a set screw or pin 6 looking the collar to the shaft end,and the other end of the shaft has attached thereto by a suitable setscrew or pin one section 76 of a universal joint K. The universal jointK has its other section attached to the end of a driving-shaft K, andthe other end of the driving-shaf't is connected with one section 70 ofa universal joint K which connects with a worm-shaft. The universaljoints K and K are of similar construction,and each is formed ofconnecting forks or sections 70 and 7c and an interposed ball kpivotally connected with the forks or sections, as is common in theconstruction of universal joints. The section or fork is of theuniversal joint K is attached to the end of a shaft L, mounted inbearings Z of a shell or casing surrounding the driven gear on the axle,and this shaft L carries a worm-gear M, which meshes with the drivengear N on the axle P, which may be the rear axle of the machine, and, asshown, the driven gear N is surrounded or incased in a shell or casingO, mounted on the axle. The axle has at its end a carrying-wheel Q, and,as shown, adjacent to the axle is a box R, extending out from which is aside bar S of the runninggear. The driving-gear for the axle, the axle,the wheel, and the running-gear are not specifically described, as theymay be of any well-' known form of construction so long as the gear forthe axle is one that can be driven from the driving-shaft K through thedriven shaft E from the driving-disks.

The operationis as follows: With the driven pinion or disk in line withthe axial center of the driving-disk and projected into the countersinkor depression 0 the operation of the engine or motor will not transmitpower to the driven pinion or disk, as the driving-disk runs clear ofthe driven pinion or disk. This enables the operator to stop the travelof the machine without interfering with the operation of the engine ormotor,which continues to run without driving the machine, so that withthe machine at rest it is not necessary to shut down the engine or motorunless so desired, as the engine or motor with the friction-drivenpinion or disk at the axial center of the driving friction-disk will notdrive the pinion or disk. The movement of the lever J by the operator ina direction to move the lower end of the lever outward moves theconnecting-bar J outward and through the fork-bar slides thefriction-driven pinion or disk on the driven shaft E outward, bringingthe periphery of ICC the friction pinion or disk in contact with theconsequently the greater speed for the driven shaft, and the nearer tothe center of the driving-disk the less will be the speed given to thedriven pinion or disk, and consequently to the driven shaft. The drivenshaft E, through its connection by the universal joint K with thedrivingshaft K, rotates such shaft, and the shaft K, through itsconnection by the universal joint K with the driven shaft L, drives thegear for moving the vehicle or automobile, and inasmuch as the speed ofthe shaft E controls the speed of the parts driven therefrom it will beseen that the speed at which the vehicle 01' automobile travels or runsis controlled by the relation of the friction-driven pinion or disk tothe friction driving-disk, and such relation is regulated by theoperator by simply moving the control ling-lever therefor. The mechanismis very simple and in use will be found efficient and reliable. Thelocation of the friction-disks in relation one to the other is easilychanged, as may be desired, by the operator. The requisite amount ofbearing or contact for the friction-disks is regulated by the slidingjournal boxes or bearings and the adj Listing-screws therefor. The wearin use is compensated for by means of the sliding boxes or bearings andthe regulating-screws, by which the boxes or bearings can be advanced totake up wear between the friction-disks, and the mechanism as a wholehaving but few parts is not liable to become injured or damaged orrendered inoperative in use.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a speed controlling and regulating mechanism,the combination of apower-shaft, a driving-disk on the end of the power-shaft consisting ofa backing plate, an intermediate cushion-plate and a hardened metallicplate forming the acting face of the disk and having therein an axialdepression, a driven gear or disk adjustable toward and from the centerof the driving-disk, and means for moving the driven gear or disk,substantially as described.

2. In a speed controlling and regulating mechanism,the combination of apower-shaft, a driving-disk on the end of the power-shaft having anaxial depression in its acting face, a driven gear or disk adjustabletoward and from the center of the driving-disk, a driven shaft on whichthe driven gear or disk is slidably mounted, adjustable journal boxes orbearings in which the driven shaft is mounted at its ends, a framecarrying the adjustable journal-boxes, a cushion for each journal box',a forked arm engaging the driven gear or disk, a guid e-rod supportingthe outer end of the forked arm, and a connecting-rod and lever formoving the forked arm and changing the relation of the driven gear ordisk to the driving-disk, substantially as described.

3. In a speed controlling and regulating mechanism,the combination of apower-shaft, a driving-disk on the end of the power-shaft, having anaxial depression in its acting face, a driven gear or disk adjustabletoward and from the center of the driving-disk, a driven shaft on whichthe driven gear or disk is slidably mounted, adjustable journal boxes orbearings in which the driven shaft is mounted, eushioningblocks engagingthe journal boxes or bearings, adjusting-screws engaging thecushioning-blocks, and means for moving the driven gear or disk on thedriven shaft toward and from the center of the driving-disk,substantially as described.

4. In a speed controlling and regulating mechanism,the combination ofapower-shaft, a driving-disk on the end of the power-shaft having anaxial depression in its acting face,

a driven gear or disk adjustable toward and from the center of thedriving-disk, adriven shaft on which the driving gear or disk isslidably mounted, adjustable journal-boxes in which the driven shaft ismounted, a cushion for each journal-box, a frame carrying thejournal-boxes and cushions, an adjustingscrew on the frame for eachjournal-box and cushion, a forked arm engaging the driven gear or disk,a guide-rod supporting the outer end of the forked arm, and aconnecting-rod and lever for moving the forked arm and changing therelation of the driven gear or disk to the driving-disk, substantiallyas described.

5. In a speed controlling and regulating mechanism,the combination of apower-shaft, a driving-disk on the end of the power-shaft having anaxial depression onits acting face, a driven gear or disk adjustabletoward and from the center of the driving-disk, a driven shaft on whichthe driven gear or disk is slidably mounted, adjustable cushioned journal-boxes in which the driven shaft is mounted, a frame carrying thejournal-boxes, a forked arm engaging the driven gear or disk, aguide-rod supporting the outer end of the forked arm, a connecting-rodand lever for moving the forked arm and changing the relation of thedriven gear or disk to the driving-disk, and a connection between thedriving-shaft and the part to be driven therefrom, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a speed controlling and regulating mechanism ,the combination of apower-shaft, a driving-disk on the end of the power-shaft having anaxial depression on its acting face, a driven gear or disk adjustabletoward and from the center of the driving-disk, a driven shaft on whichthe driven gear or disk is slidably mounted, adjustable cushioned j0ur-Dal-boxes in which the driven shaft is mount- I joints for transmittingpower from the driven ed, a frame carrying the journal-boxes, ashafttothe mechanism to be driven, substan- 1o forked arm engaging thedriven gear or disk, I tiaily as described.

a guide-rod supporting the outer end of the forked arm, a connecting-rodand lever for I AXEL SANDELL' moving the forked arm and changing therelation of the driven gear or disk to the driving-disk, and aconnection having universal Witnesses:

A. LAUTH, THOMAS B. MCGREGOR.

